Valve



Oct. 2, 1951 B. N. ASHTON VALVE Original Filed Sept. 30, 1945 l3 l8 /5e m INVENTOR.

BENJAMIN N. ASHTON H/S ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 2, 1 951 VALVE "BcnjaininN. -Ashton, Kingston, N. *Y assignor to Ele'ctrol incorporated, Kingston, 1 N. Y., a- 'cor- 'pcration of-Delaware Original application September 30, "1943, .Serial TNo.50 1,409. Divided and this application ctater 16,1947, Serial No. 780,259

eflfllaims. 'This invention relates to "improvements in valves and-itrelates particularlyto shuttle type *valvessuitab1e for use in-combined high pressure hydraulic "and 'gas pressure systems, such "as, for example, those used in-operating the landing geanwving*fiapsand other movable elements of airplanes.

This *is 'a *di-visiom'of application "Serial No.

$04,409, filed September 30, 1943, now Patent Number 2 345505," dated July' -20, 19%.

In some fluid pressure systems, two sources of pressure are provided for supplying-' power to a 'common system.

For example, in aircraft having -a hydraulic system for actuating landing flaps, landing-gear, -bomb-bay--doors'arid the like, a supplemental gas bottle is provided-tosupply =pressure inth'e event-*thatthe source of hydraulic pressure is damaged. "In su-ch --=systems, it is highly desirable "to have a valve which will automatica'lly connect "the "gas bottle "to the hydraulic system if "the source of hydraulic pressure is damaged orrenderedineiiective.

In *accordance with the presentinvention, I

"have provided a valve of -a type referred toherein as a shuttle --valve which is responsive to differential pressures" in a combined gas and hydraulic system and thereby automatically I acts to "connect the-"source having 2 the higher pres- "s'u'reto the hydraulic system. This valve is characterizedbyavalve-plug element which is shift able I lengthwise of "a valve casing to connect "selectively one-of two sources of pressure to "'a" pressure system' for operating elements" there- *of. The "valve --is provided -with spring *means imparting "a snap action to 'the=-valve-plug but -"at' the sametime'oppcsing displacement of the plug in responseto' sli'ght variations in pressure so that movement of the valve from one" of its positions to another-takes place only when a -substan'tial differential pressure is applied to the val-ve plug.

"For a better understanding of-the presentin- *vention-"reference may 'be had to theaccotnpanying drawing m -which:

Thesingle flgure is a view in longitudinal secti'on 5 of a typical form -of pressure responsive 'shuttle'valve- 'eiribodying the-present invention.

The drawing illustrates one forin of shuttle provided *withi-internal threads for 're'ceiving the couplings II and I2 which' co'mmunicate ivith two I different sources of fluid under pressurefi "hand position -(not shown) The casing I0 isprovided=withan outlet coupling I 3 midway betweenits en ds Tfor connection-with the hydraulic system of the device to be actuated. The coupling I 3 is provided withianiinternal bore I i which opensinto the interior ef thecasing I0.

The coupling 'II isl'provided'with -a bore to which I terminates at -a shoulder I ll: anthe -end ar an elongated cylindrical wall portimi Hc of larger diameter thanthe boreIla. =At -vthe tinner en'd of the cylindrical wall portion He '*--is another shoulder l Id'which =ioi'ns with: another-cylindrical portion I Ie of still*larger diameter.

The coupling I2 issimilarly-provided With-a e central: bore In I and the cenlarged cylindrical wall portions I2b-and IZd. ThelIinner endsII-If I and IZe of the couplings -I I and IZ are oppositely inclined, so as 'to converge outwardly and are spaced apart for af-purlpose that w-ill be described presently.

Within the cylindrical portion I te a'nd'I ib and in sliding engagement therewith .is a apiston member or valve plug 5 I 5 which n is :rprovided .at its opposite ends with alternate "lugs 115a "and zs passages I5b extending :radiall'y thereof. "The I spacing of the 'lugs a'nd grooves at? thelopposite ends 'of the "plug l I 5 is such :that when"-the plug is moved to its 1 farthest position-to the 1 leit,r,the grooves I 5?) r at the rigl'it-hand end of Ethel :plug I 5 connect the "passage I 2a and the space between the wall IM and theuouter surtaceKofLthe plug P I5, thereby permitting fluid to 1 flow ithrough rthe coupling I2 past the plug and: through :theaoutlet I4. Similarly, when the plug .is at'itsirightfluid can -flow throughthevbore Ila, theipassages libiatwthe left-hand end of -the-plug-and into and through the outlet coupling I3.

In order to prevent leakage of fluidgpastrthe plug I5, it is provided with peripherahgrooves I5d and I5e adjacent its opposite ends, butdisposed inwardly of the .grooves 15b. Mounted within the grooves I5d and I5e are resilient rubbery rings I6 Which'serveto prevent leakagelof the fluid past the plug' in the-manner described 'The plug I5"wil1"mo've in res-ponse-topressures exerted on its ends. Therefore with the plug in the position shown in the drawingfit -will be v 'forced' to the right to permit the fluid-to flow through theconnection I I to 'the connection I4 when the fluid pressure in the conduit I I a is greater than the fluidvpressure in'the conduit 12a.

In order to avoid displacementof-vtheplug I5 3 in response to slight variations in pressure and to assure complete movement of the plug from one position to another, spring means is provided to give a snap action to the plug. This spring means may suitably consist of a coil spring I! encircling the plug l5 and engaging narrow rings [8 and I9 at its opposite ends which bear against an annular series of balls 26 and another annular series of balls 2|, respectively. The balls 20 and 2| have a diameter such that they cannot be received in the space between the walls I la and |2d and the plug I5. The plug I5 is provided with a pair of peripheral grooves 23 and 24 which are of a depth sufficient to receive the balls and permit them to move, with the plug l5, into the space between the walls He or IM and the periphery I of the plug 55. Thus, one of the sets of balls 2| is received in the groove 23, and the other series of balls engages the end |2e of the coupling l2. When the pressure in the coupling i2 is diminished and the pressure in the coupling H isvincreased, the plug IE will be urged to the right, carrying the balls 2i) with it and compressing the spring ll. When the plug I5 moves to the right, balls 2!) are moved along with it until adjacent inclined shoulders llf. Spring Ii exerts a force on balls 28, pressing them against the inclined wall of the groove 23. According to the well-known triangle of forces doctrine of physics, the force of the spring in pressing balls 20 against the groove wall may be resolved into a force perpendicular to said wall, which would have no effeet on moving the balls, and into an outward force parallel to the inclined groove wall the effect of which is to cause balls 26 to move outwardly of the groove, against the shoulder I if. At

substantially the same time balls 23 are moved as described, grooves 24 come into register with balls 2|, which balls are pressed against inclined shoulders |2e by spring l'l. According to the doctrine of the triangle of forces, the force of spring I! against balls 2| may be resolved into a force perpendicular to I2e, which would have no efiect on moving the balls, and into an inward force parallel to 7|2e, the efiect of which is to cause balls 2| to move inwardly into grooves 24. The

positions of the balls are now reversed, balls 20 being out of their groove 23, and balls 2| being intheir groove 24. When the plug l5 moves to the left, the action is reversed, and the balls return to the position of Fig. 1. At this time, the

compressed spring l1 will act to snap the piston completely to its right-hand position and will expose the ports |5b at the left-hand end of the nect the gas pressure source to the hydraulic I claim:

1. In a valve, the combination of a hollow casing, fluid inlets adjacent to its opposite ends and a fluid outlet between said inlets, means forming inner cylindrical walls of less diameter than the internal diameter of said hollow casing between said outlet and said inlets, said walls being spaced apart to provide a channel of greater diameter than said walls communicating with said outlet, an annular recess in about the midportion of said channel having shoulders at opposite sides thereof a piston member slidably engaging said cylindrical walls and spanning said channel, means forming'ports in the ends of said piston for communication alternately with said channel'and an adjacent inlet, a pair of peripheral grooves spaced axially of said piston, two annular series of balls engaging the periphery of said piston, spring means interposed between said balls and urging them apart, said balls being of greater diameter than the depth of said channel andless than the combined depths of the channel and recess and the combined depths of the channel and grooves in said piston member whereby when one series of balls is received in one of said grooves, the other series of balls engages in said recess and against one of said shoulders and means in said chamber comprising said shoulders cooperating with said spring means and with said balls for causing one set of balls to be moved out of one of said grooves and the other set of balls to be moved into the other of said grooves, when said piston member is urged by said spring means to a limit position permitting communication between one of said inlets and said outlet. Y

2. The valve set forth in claim 1 comprising means forming additional grooves in said piston disposed inwardly of said ports, and resilient rubbery rings disposed in said additional grooves and cooperating with said cylindrical walls to effect sealing engagement therewith.

3. A pressure responsive valve comprising an elongated valve housing having inlets at opposite ends, an outlet intermediate its ends, a pair of first cylindrical wall portionsintermediate the inlets and the outlet and a pair of second cylindrical wall portions of greater diameter than said first wall portions disposed between said first wall portions and terminating in. inclined, outwardly converging, annular shoulders on opposite sides of said outlet defining an annular recess of greater diameter than said second oylindrical wall portions between their ends, a

cylindrical valve plug fitting and slidable within said first cylindrical wall portions and having a pair of peripheral, spaced-apart grooves adjacent its mid-portion and fluid passageways at opposite ends for selectively connecting said outlet to said inlets, said passageways'being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the inner ends of said first cylindrical wall portions, two series of balls interposed besystemautomatically, if the source of liquid pres- I sure is damaged or fails.

in response to differential pressures at opposite ends of the valve plug.

tween said plug and said housing, said balls having diameters less than the clearance between the bottoms of said grooves and said second wall portions and greater than the clearance between the periphery of said plug and said second wall portions, and spring means normally urging said two series of balls apart to retain one series of balls in engagement with one of said inclined shoulders and the other series of balls in one of said peripheral grooves.

4. A pressure responsive valve comprising a tubular hollow valvehousinghaving inlets at opposite ends, an outlet intermediate its ends, spaced apart cylindrical wall portions between said inlets and said outlet terminating in an nular shoulders defining an enlarged chamber in alignment with said outlet, a valve plug slidably fitting within and overlapping said wall portions in all positions of said plug, means forming substantially radial fluid passages in opposite ends of said plug to permit fluid to flow from one of said inlets to said outlet through one of said passages when the passage at the opposite end is covered by a cylindrical wall adjacent to the other inlet, a pair of peripheral spaced apart grooves in the mid-portion of said plug, a set of balls for each of said grooves, spring means urging said sets of balls apart, and means in said chamber cooperating with said spring means and with said balls for causing one set of balls to be moved out of their groove and the other set of balls to be moved into their groove.

5. A pressure responsive valve comprising a tubular hollow valve housing having inlets at opposite ends, an outlet intermediate its ends, and spaced apart cylindrical wall portions between said inlets and said outlet terminating in annular shoulders defining an enlarged chamber in alignment with said outlet, a valve plug slidably fitting within and overlapping said wall portions in all positions of said plug, means forming substantially radial fluid passages in opposite ends of said plug to permit fluid to flow from one of said inlets to said outlet through one of said passages when the passage at the opposite end is covered by a cylindrical wall adjacent to the other inlet, a pair of peripheral spaced apart grooves in the mid-portion of said plug, said grooves being spaced apart axially of said plug, a set of balls for each of said grooves, spring means urging said sets of balls apart, and means in said chamber cooperating with said spring means and with said balls for causing one set of balls to be moved out of their groove and the other set to be moved into their groove, other grooves between said passa es and said pair of grooves, and toroidal, rubbery rings in said other grooves preventing escape of fluid between said cylindrical walls and said periphery of said plug.

6. A pressure responsive valve comprising a tubular hollow valve housing having inlets at opposite ends, an outlet intermediate its ends, and spaced apart cylindrical wall portionsbetween said inlets and said outlet terminating in annular shoulders defining an enlarged chamber in alignment with said outlet, a valve plug slidably fitting within and overlapping said wall portions in all positions of said plug, fluid passages in opposite ends of said plug to permit fluid to flow from one of said inlets to said outlet through one of said passages when the passage at the opposite end is covered by a cylindrical wall adjacent to the other inlet, a pair of peripheral spaced apart grooves in the mid-portion of said plug, a set of balls for each of said grooves, spring means urging said sets of balls apart, and means in said chamber cooperating with said spring means and with said balls for causing one set of balls to be moved out of their groove and the other set to be moved into their groove, when the plug is moved to a limit position by said spring means.

BENJAMIN N. ASHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,065,596 Maccabee Dec. 29, 1936 2,300,694 Overbeke Nov. 3, 1942 2,324,689 Fraser July 20, 1943 2,338,707 Boynton Jan. 11, 1944 2,360,839 Barksdale Oct. 24, 1944 2,372,016 Rockwell Mar, 20, 1945 2,408,799 Melichar Oct. 8, 1946 2,445,505 Ashton 1 July 20, 1,948 

